Printing telegraphy



June 2, 1925.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. P. CHAPLIN PRINTING TELEGRAPHY M. P. CHAPLINPRINTING TELEGRAPHY June 2,1925.

Filed Nov. 13, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm ,rw/MA Mh www M f f Patented`lune* 2, 1925.

UNITED` STAT-ES PATENT .oFFicE MERLE P. CHAPLIN. 0F WHITE PLAINS. NEW'YORK. ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F NEW YORK.N. Y., A CORPORATION O'F NEW YORK.

PRINTING TELEGRAPHY.

Application led November 13, 1920. Serial No. 423,811.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MERLE P.I CHAPLIN. a citizen ot the United States`residing at Vhite Plains, iii the county of Westchester,` State of NewYork, have invented certainl new and useful Improvements in PrintingTelegraphy, of which the following is a ull. clear, concise, and exactdescription.

This invention .relates to printing telegraphy, and particularly todistributing mechanism utilized in such systems.

An object of the invention is to provide a distributor free from thedefects inherent in use of rotatingr commutator brushes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a distributorhaving incorporated therein mechanical means for controlling the releaseof the power shaft of the receiving printer.

In accordance with another object, the invention provides for theassociation of the distributing mechanism and the receiving printer in aunitary structure.

For accomplishing the above objects, the present invention rovides Vadistributor mechanism arrange'din conjunction with the receiving printeranc forming a part thereof. utilizing a plurality of contacts designedto be actuated by means of an intermittently revolving arm. The'contacts are arranged concentrically, being adapted to be actuated insuccession for distributing the character selecting units to theselector mechanism of' the receiving printer in accordance with thesignal current impulses received trom the distant station. Incorporatedwith the distributing mechanism is a mechanical means, such as, forexample, a-cam, which, for each revolution of the distributor armeffects the release of the power shaft of the receiving printer. i

The above and other objects ot this invention. will be set forth in thefollowing description and annexed claims, and'will be more readilyunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 isa front view ot' a distributor designed in accordance with the presentinvention and having a portion thereof crosssectioned Jfor the purposeof more clearly disclosing the invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of themechanism disclosed in Fig. 1,- Fi 3 is ayiew taken along the line 3--3of ig. 1, Fig. 4

discloses the cani together with the connecting links for releasing thepower shaft of the receiving printer, while Fig. 5 discloses inschematic form the combination of the distributing mechanism disclosedin Fig. 1 and a portion of a receiving printer.

A' receiving printer of the character with which a distributormechanismof the type hereinafter described is especially applicable, isdisclosed in anv application of Harry Pfannenstiehl, Serial No. 397,503,filed July i 21, 1920, and since the above mentioned copendingapplication illustrates and describes in detail the various operationsof a receiving printer, it is considered unnecessary to show a completestructure of the receiving printer as applied to the present invention,but to show only so much of the apparatus as is necessary to a clearunderstanding of the invention.- Obviously, however, a distributor ofthecharacter covered by this invention is applicable to types ofreceivingprinters other than that disclosed and described in the'above mentionedco-pending application ofHarry Pfannenstiehl. ,y

Referring. now to the drawing, there is shown a distributor mechanismdesigned in accordance with the previously enumerated objects,comprising a plurality of contact springs 5. These springs areyconcentrically arranged on a face plate 10 by suitable screws such as11. Plate 10 is secured to posts 4. forming a part of the frame 7 byscrews 2. Associated with the springs 5is an auxiliary spring 13. Thesprings 5 and the auxiliary springs 1.3 .are arranged in a unit withinsulating material 14 and 15' interposed therebetween for the purposeof insuring a good insulation, the combination being in turn secured torthe plate 10. At the free end of the springs 5 there is an adjustablecontact screw16 for regulating the distance through which the spring 13is required to move before making Contact therewith. The spring 13,there being a similar spring provided for each of the `springs 5, isformed of a very rigid material vso that upon the release thereof, itwill instantly return to its normal postion, thus giving a. cleancontact. Suitably arranged with the spring 13, and secured by the samescrews is an operating member 17. To the freeend of the member 17 thereis attached a `pro ich jectin'g portion 18, which, as will behereinsprings 13 and screw 16.

In orderthat the contact springs may be actuatedin succession, an arm19is rigidly secured toa shaft y20. Normally the arm 19, together withlthe shaft 20 is held against rotation by means of a stop member 21. Thisstopfmember'21 is mounted on they armature of a start ma' `et 22. Magnet22, as in the usual distri utors ofthe startstop type, operates torelease the arm 19 for permitting the-contact springs to be actuated insuccession. The energizing circuit of the start magnet -22 extendsthrough a pair of contacts 23 and 24, which are nbrv mally in engagementdue to the pressure of by passage of the arm 19 thereover.

-zationof the startl magnet 22 wl1ich per,

the arm 19. Thus, the instant the arm 19 is released, the energizingcircuit for the electro-magnet- 22 is broken, due to the opening ofcontacts 23 and 24,which isy thereupon prevented from being energizeduntil the contacts 23 and 24 are again compleed ecured at apointintermediate the ends of vthe arm 19 is a knife or wedged shaped member8. This member 8 is shaped in-this manner for thepurpose of eliminatingthe retardation effect of the projections `18 on the springs 17. For thepurpose of eliminating as much of the friction as lpossiblebetween theshaft 20 and `its bearings 25 and 26, suitablel ball pearings 27 and 28lare provided.f Secured o` the bearing 26 by means of screws 29 is aface plate 31'.

Intermediate the bearings and 26 is positioned a -cam 34. Thiscam 34 iskeyed to the shaft 20, and is thus revolved upon the release of the arm19 due to the energimits the shaft 2() to be. driven throughva` suitablefriction clutch to be hereinafter described. The cam 34 is so arrangedthat for each revolution of the shaft 20 and following the transmissionof the character' selectmg units, a lever 35 will be acted upon. Thelever 35 is rigidly secured to a shaft 36', at.

`one extremity ofwhich is keyed one part o f a 'toggle joint, comprisingmembers 37 and 38. By means of a spring 39 which has one end attached tothe member 37 and the other to an upright' member'46, the member 37 yisthus normally retained in engagement with a stop screw 40. Rigidlysecured to the member 38 of the toggle joint is a block 41 arranged tobe revolved about" a shaft 45 mounted in the frame 42. Uponthe'engagement of the eccentricportion of the cam 34 with the lever 35,the. shaft 36 will be Arevolved in the direction ofthe arrow. Themovement of the shaft 36 in this manner causesa similar action on themembers 37 and 38 of the togglejoint, thus effecting a downward movementof the block 41. The

block 41 thereupon moves to a position whereby a stop arm 43 isreleased. Therelease of thel stop'arm 43 permits, as will be moreclearly described, a shaft 44 to be. revolved by power vcommunicatedthereto through a) suitable friction clutch.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 and 5, therey is shown a motor 48,driving shaft 49 and pinion 50 carried thereby cooperating with a gearwheel 51 for imparting motion to the power shaft 44 of the receivingprinter.V Power is communicated from" th(` driving shaftto the drivenshaft by means of a friction clutch 52. The construction of the frictionclutch 52 is as follows: Mounted "on the side of the gear wheel 51 Ais aseries of posts 54 on which there is arranged a plurality of plates55,56, 57 and 58. adapted to rot-ate with the gear wheel 51. Rigi( lysecured tothe power shaft 44 is a plurality of discs 59, 60, 61 and 62of a lesser diameter than that of the plates carried by the posts 54.Intermediate' the plates which are car ried by the posts 54 and thediscs carried by the driven shaft 44 is a series of friction discs 63which may consist of wood or any desired material. Mounted 'on `the endof the shaft 44 is an extension carrying a number of threads designed toreceive a nut 64. In order that the pressure between the various platesmay be varied,l there is interposed'between tle nut 64 and the plate 59a helical spring 65.

Also carried to the posts 54 is another Vseries of plates 66 and 67forming a part of a second clutch 69. Rigidly mounted on the shaft 20and interposed between the two plates 66 and 67 is a disc 68 of,asmaller diameter than the plates 66 and 67.v Interposed vbetween theplates 66 and 67, which are rigidly secured to the posts 54 and theplate 68, which ismounted on the shaft 20, is a series of friction discs75. These discs, asl described in connection with the clutch 52, mayconsist of wood or any desiredA material. For adjusting the pressurebetween spring 7Q`is placed between the plate 67 and adjustable blocks71 which are shdably mounted on-the posts 54.

From the description pertammgto 'the clutches 52 and 69, it is seen thatbut one sourceof motive power 48 is required for driving the shaft ofthe distributor and the receiving printer, respectively. This feature isparticularlyadvantageous since it enables rthe mountingI of thedistributor equipment and the printer as a unit. I t not only affordsbetter operating characterlstics` but also diminishes to a considerableextent the space occupied by the separate umts. In order to compensatefor line lag or what is sometimes known as line distortion, the

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distributing mechanism equipped with means whereby the interval ottimeelapsingI between the release of the distributor brush arm and itsengagement with the iirst'contact may be varied. lVitli such anarrangement the impulses transmitted from the distant station will bereceived, in cases where the distributor is acting 'as a receivingdistributor, in a manner suchf that the signals will be properlydistributed to the printer mechanism with which the distributor isassociated. In the present instance, this is accomplished by having thepart ,of the mechanism .carrying the release magnets and the releaselatch rotatable aboutxa portion of the hub 26. Normally the portioncarrying the release magnets and the release latch is held againstrotation due to the force applied through the thumb screw 72 upon theextension 12 which engages a portion ofL the hub 26.*, Then it isdesired to orient the brush arm it only becomes necessary to loosenl thethumb screw 72 and rotate the release magnetlwith its release latch in adirection determined by whether it` is desired to have the brush arm 19engage the contacts at a time sooner orlater than when" the releaselatch is in its normal or zero position. When the thumb screw 72 isrotated in a counter clock-wise direction, the'extension 12 can therebybelfreely shifted on the bearing or hub 26 to any desired position. Toindicate the amount of displacement (a suitable scale 73 graduated uponplate 10- and a binder 74 are provided. With such an arrangement-'it ispossible to orientate the distributors to the smallest increment tocompensate for any line lag.

The present invention has been illustrated and described as applied to adistributor of the start-stop type. Obviously,though, the sameprinciplemay be readily'employed in other types of distributors, such as, forexample, those. in which the contact arm. is continuously rotatingwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What. is claimed is:

1. A distributor for printing telegraphs comprising a plurality ofspring contact members. actuating means normally .tending to rotate,means for releasing said actuating means to operate said spring contactmembers in succession, and means for permitting of a variation between4the time of release. ofsaid actuating'means and its operation of thefirst spring contact members.

2. The combination with axlpowe'r shaft normally tending to rotate, of adistributor 'comprising a plate,` a series of spring contact membershaving open and closedi positions arranged concentrically on said plate,an arm-normally tending to rotate, electrically operated means forreleasing said arm whereby said Contact members will be actuated totheir closed position in succession,

and a mechanical meansl operated automatically on eachrevolution of saidarm for releasing said power shaft.

3, The combination of a" pair of shafts arranged to fbe driven, a commonsource of motive powerfor driving said shafts, coupling meansintermediate Vsaid shafts and source of motive power, means forrestrain- 'mg the movement of said shafts, a series of spring contactmembers. means secured to one of said shafts for actuating said contactmembers in succession, and means controlled by lthe rotation of theshaft carrycontact arm for releasing the restrainingVv means on theother ofsaid shafts. p

5. A distributor comprising a series of flexible spring contact membershaving open and closed positions arranged concentrically, a shaftnormally tending to rotate, means secured to said shaft, and meansresponsive to current impulses for releasing said shaft whereby saidmeans is caused to move the spring contact members to their closedposition in succession.

6. A distributor comprising a series of spring contact members having.open and closed positions arranged concentrically, Aa shaft, contactmeans rigidly secured to said shaft. a latch for holding said contactmeans and shaft againstrotation, means responsive to current impulsesfor operatin said latch whereby said -contact means 1s released formoving said contact members to (their closed position in succession.

7. Al distributor comprising a series of spring contact members havingopen and closed positions arranged concentrically, a

contact arm normally tending to rotate for actuating the spring; contactmembers to their closed position, and electrically operated means forperiodically releasing said contact arm for rotation.

8. A distributor comprising a series of spring contact members havingopen and closed positions arranged concentrically, a

contact arm normally ytending to rotate for .actuating the spring"contact members to spring contact members arrangedconcen-4 odicallyreleasing said Contact arm for rotation, a power shaft, means forholding said shaft against rotation, and aC cam operateeld insynchronism with said contact arm for mechanically operating saidholding means In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe '1" my name -this10th day of Ilot/ember, A, D., 1920. y

MERLE P. zGHAPLIN`

